Nun+sniper gun+political candidate=poor taste in a commercial: SFonline 電視廣告

First watch this commercial because I think it speaks for itself. I remember the first time I watched this commercial on TV I was hella shocked. Uh, did that nun just shoot that political candidate with a snipper gun? What the fuck is this an advertisement for? Answer: online game.

Here is where my mind went (every viewer has her/his own train of thought) Nun-conservative-candidate-abortion rights-assassination-"pro-life" radicals. Wow what message is this commercial actually sending?

But this commercials audience is not American it is Taiwanese folks. And in Taiwan it is illegal to own any sort of firearm, and there are no visible pro-choice/life movements.

As for abortion legalities I am not clear, nor it seems do a lot of Taiwanese women. However, you can still get one at a clinic of sorts. As to whether it is safe I do not know. But the point is not abortion rights here. The point is: what the fuck is going on here.

Now I don't watch TV when I live in the states, and am WAY out of the loop on most things involving popular culture, but my feelings here is that this commercial would not be ok with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and would cause a lot of upset among all kinds of viewers, from all over the political spectrum. What do you think US readers?

The reason that this is so shocking is that this commercial started airing during Taiwan's election season. And the political figure being shot at is not (contrary to what it might look to the American eye) supposed to be the president of Taiwan, but rather a political candidate campaigning for office.

That is how they campaign in Taiwan, parade after loud-ass parade. I am talking parades in both business and residential areas, fireworks (being shot off a truck into the air) people marching, loud speakers blaring "please vote for me. 拜託拜託，多謝多謝", drums. Its really loud. Really. It sounds like a war zone to me. Makes me slightly nervous, and that is coming from someone who like politics!

So yeah, this commercial aired during commercial breaks while you were watching news about the election. (Or while I was watching my beloved Korean Soap operas.) And my reaction was just like: Ick. No bueno! A lot of images came up for me of liberal political assassinations like, President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Tiller, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, Harvey Milk, and many many more. Because in the lovely USA this assassination thing doesn't just happen in commercials.

The content of the add seems to be the nun saying some typical religious banter, perhaps a payer, (it is hard for me to hear over the music+ I cant see the subtitles clearly.) But it is not until the very end that you know it is a commercial for some game because it says,『不爽，就來玩』"bad mood, just come and play (our game.)" Because if you are a nun in a bad mood some political leaders are gonna die....right. And if you are wondering SF stands for 特種部隊 "special forces." Special forces presumably lead by the catholic church.

Also, what is up with over-sexualized nuns here? Not creative and not very classy. And it is a sexist representation (but that is another post altogether.)

As far as the comments posted on YouTube there is some protest to this advertisement but not a lot on the political implications or representations. One person said "it is a bit disrespectful to nuns" and one person said it was "random" one person did bring up politics saying "they should have has Ma Ying Jiu 馬英九 Taiwan's president act as the candidate."

I am not arguing for FCC style censorship, nor am I arguing that images of violence cause real violence but I am arguing this: Lets be responsible for the images we produce, people! Lots of people argue that it is creative(its not!), shocking, new, but I think it might be good to stop and ponder where we are at as cultures (Taiwan or anywhere else) that we have to go THIS far to be shocking and therefore get attention to buy a product. Especially when this product is a video game in a culture full of 宅男/女 Otaku .

We could talk about how this commercial trivializes (or makes a mockery of) politically motivated violence, how it normalizes or even romanticizes violence, how it is a sloppy, vulgar attempt at being "edgy." And these things should be discussed.

I will just say this: Repackaging shit you saw on some foreign mobster move and repeatedly airing this representation of the assassination of a candidate during an election season is irresponsible, low, and lacking creative energy. It is straight up media pollution. I am chocking here on the dominate culture's propaganda pollution.*hack hack*

Go read a book. Yes, read a book.

白花油 The Taiwanese Cure All: White Flower Oil

There is always some kind of medical treatment, drug, remedy of sorts, that we use as some kind of cure all; stretching it's intended medical treatment to alleviate other perhaps less related symptoms or ailments.

I can still remember my mom's mantra ringing in my ears, "put Noxzema on it!" You know the facewash with Eucalyptus oil in it. Zit? Noxzema it. Dry skin? Noxzema it. Skin tone uneven? Noxzema it. Worried about aging at the tender age of 23? Mom is sending Noxzema across the world to "cure" you premature aging woes. However! mom's skin looks great in her 60s so maybe we should be going Noxzema crazy, who knows?

Or how I use Ibuprofen with wild abandon. Headache, fever, hungover, muscle ache,hot temperature making me uncomfortable.

Side note: just today my man picked up the Ibuprofen bottle and pointed to the warning "if you consume more than 3 alcoholic drinks a week consult your doctor before taking this medication." To which I said, "no one listens to that stuff." Setting off his "為了你的健康speech" I probably should cut down on that stuff...or figure out a way to have fewer headaches.

For Taiwanese, the cure all remedy would be the famous 白花油 white flower oil. Here are some of the many (claimed) uses of this oil:

1.Headaches (most common).
2.Clearing out sinuses. A lot like menthol or vapor rub, only better in my opinion. I observed my man's mom using it this way, dabbing under the nose.
3.Zits.
4.Itchy skin.
5. Constipation/Gas (Use it to rub on your stomach) And I am not joking about this one. My boyfriend helped me do this. Results were mixed. But I think what really helped the constipation was doing 30 sit ups which is a remedy that he swears by.
6. Menstrual cramps (rub on the place where your uterus sits)
7.Muscle aches.
8.Bruises.
9.Minor scrapes and sores.
10. Stress and Fatigue (I have not tried this myself, however this commercial would lead me to believe that it REALLY does cure stress and on the way, causes international dancing? Aw snap!)

Before we go any further, please keep in mind folks---EXTERNAL USE ONLY AKA DO NOT EAT IT OR PUT IT INSIDE YOU

My first encounter with White Flower oil was in the states when fellow Chinese language student, who had been to China gave it to me for a headache. A couple dabs on my forehead and temples and I was surprised at the quick relief.

So when I came to Taiwan I was excited to find this stuff in the convenient stores. One day having a killer headache and no ibuprofen, I went to buy some white flower oil and a well intentioned young Taiwanese man (to be frank maybe just wanting to show off his English "skills") wrote down the word in Chinese for ibuprofen and told me to go to the pharmacy and ask for western medicine...because he is afraid this stuff (white flower oil) does not work.

But it does work, in the same way ibuprofen works really, curing the symptom: pain. And it is true it is WAY WAY WAY less harmful to your liver (probably not at all harmful) than our beloved western counterpart, ibuprofen.

Last place in the world you would expect to find someone dissing on non-western forms of medicine
would be in Taiwan (read:China. Its complicated!) but there you have it.

Most Taiwanese, when necessary, use western medicine, however most (excluding dude at the 7/11) don't dis on the white flower yo! For example I did a super informal (read: not professional at all) interview with my boyfriend:

Me: 請問，你對白花油有什麽看法？What are your thoughts on white flower oil?
Wealen: 哪裡癢就哪裡擦白花油。Where ever you are itchy you can apply white flower oil.
Me: 請問，你覺得白花油是幾乎每個家庭必備的嗎？Do you think white flower oil is a household necessity?
Wealen: 對。Yes.

And Wealen's mom has stopped me from taking ibuprofen and instead gave me a crazy awesome back rub to cure my headache. Kick-ass right? So yes, in general Taiwanese 不會隨便吃西藥 don't casually take western medicine. And in my experience, there tends to be a real suspicion of western medicine or at least a real reluctance to rely on it, especially from the older crowd. Hence the guilt trip my boyfriend gives me every time I pop an ibuprofen (what would I do without him?)

Bottom line: Ibuprofen: damages liver. Happy alternative: white flower oil y'all!

Disclaimers:

1. I am not a doctor or medical expert in any way,shape or form. (Duh) somehow I feel like I have to say this being that this post is medical related.

2. I am not receiving payment from the Noxzema company or 和興 He Xing white flower oil company. Although I probably should.

Andrea Gibson---can I get a hell yes?

So the other day, I had my first time with a spectacularly talented women named Andrea Gibson---the first time to hear someone recite a poem so powerfully it made me cry. I am not talking tearing up a little bit, I am talking tears falling all over Chinese homework I was failing to focus on. And this was not even a live reading! This was me watching it on the magical youtube. If I watched her live I probably would have ripped my heart out, gift wrapped it, and presented it to her. It was an amazing experience, one left me inspired.

Andrea Gibson an activist, and overall badass, was the 2008 winner of the Women of the World Poetry slam in Detroit, a four time Denver Grand Slam champion, and placed third at both the 2006 and 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam (according to good 'ol Wiki.) But this is not about the awards she has won, it is about her words, her poetry, and her delivery. Because in slam poetry it is about the delivery---and damn this women delivers! My good lord, does she deliver!

So I wanted to share one of her poems (and some others if you are interested) with you called "Birthday." Powerful. Crying powerful.

Quite funny. About gender, titled "Swing-set."

Intense. But indeed one of the best art pieces about United States militarism, titled "For Eli."

Funny, beautiful, love poem, "How it Ends."

An amazing yet very painful poem. "Blue Blanket" the best and most powerful line of this poem is the last line.

Bottom line: Andrea Gibson too cool for school (however she still preforms at them.) Speaking of performances, she is currently touring and will be in my town Portland, Or on the 20th of November at the Q center! Portlanders, for the love of awesome, go and see her. I really really really wish I could be there. And could someone get her autograph for me?